


Nicest Thing

by Cacoethic



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Japanese Highschool AU, Multiple vignettes, Reversal of a popular trope that I hate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 03:30:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8473705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cacoethic/pseuds/Cacoethic
Summary: It was for the best, right? She was just a kid, even at eighteen, even on graduation day. For the best.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This came out less as a cutesy fic and more of ... me RAILING against all of the student/teacher manga tropes there are. I wrote half of it a year ago and only finished it now. Told across the span of two japanese semesters (second and third) using snapshots/vignettes of key moments.

“It’ll be easy,” Ino found herself reassuring Sakura. “Asuma-sensei is a pervert. Some things you know just by looking.”

“Gosh, Ino!” Sakura exclaimed. “You’re so knowledgeable about this stuff. I could never talk to someone older than me the way you do,” she blushed, averting her eyes. The two close friends were exchanging words in the locker room, preparing to run a few laps around the track outside. Ino didn’t take many things in P.E. seriously, but she loved to run. Sakura was still sliding on her shirt lazily as Ino began to stretch and warm up. They’d spent plenty of time messing around: enough to forge a half-joking bet, in fact. It was the second semester of their third and final year in high school, and Ino had selected herself a Target.

Ino did this all the time: she zeroed in on someone she wanted and went for them with all of her strength. Usually it was someone attainable though; this was her first time targeting a teacher. Much less a teacher like Asuma, who had always been laid-back but became completely detached after his wife, Kurenai, died the year before Sakura and Ino entered highschool. He had taken the first year off to be with their daughter, who Kurenai died giving birth to. Ino and Sakura’s second year was their first time seeing Asuma, but they knew about him from the upperclassmen. Although he was a math teacher, he wasn’t a robot (like other teachers they’d come to know), and seemed to genuinely like and care about his students. He was blunt, smoked too much, and was completely unapproachable on a romantic level. Of course Ino would set her sights on him. Sakura had been happy to find out she and Ino both had Asuma for their final year until now.

The pair left the locker room together, Ino tilting her head from side to side and quickening her pace while Sakura dragged her feet along. Days where they ran track were the worst for Sakura, because she had to keep Ino’s pace or jog alone. Usually she opted for the first, then slowly ended up alone as she grew tired. Today, she was surprised to see the boys outside as well.

“Mixed class today, folks!” Anko-sensei called out from her “throne” atop the bleachers. Sakura saw Ino’s eyes meet Shikamaru’s, and he headed over to meet them. Since they’d never run together before, he likely had no idea what he was in for.

“Don’t hold me back,” Ino commanded Shikamaru before heading to the starting line. Shikamaru had no reaction at all aside from a yawn and a nod. When both classes were clumped haphazardly around the starting line, Anko blew the whistle. Ino was off in an instant, easily leaving behind her peers. Sakura let out a sigh before picking up her own pace, until she noticed Shikamaru was making no attempt to catch up or really move at all. He was walking at a snail’s pace, arms held carelessly behind his head. Happy to finally have a captive track buddy, Sakura slowed to match his pace and began gushing.

“Ino never waits for me! I’m glad the boys are joining us ‘cause I can talk to someone now. Where’s Chouji?” the questions came out more rapid-fire than she intended but Shikamaru barely noticed. Everyone not going at his pace must have seemed too fast from his perspective.

“I’m not waiting for you,” he began mildly. “I always go this speed. And Chouji is in the nurse’s office-” a snort from Sakura cut him off. His eyes narrowed, “running isn’t his strength. It’s not yours either, I see.”

Nodding sheepishly, Sakura began searching around for a topic. Her classmates were meandering around at different paces, several groups forming among the girls and boys. Sakura and Shikamaru were undoubtedly the slowest of them all, just as Ino was undoubtedly the fastest. Ino passed the pair at a quick jog, lapping them effortlessly. She had her conversation topic now.

“Has Ino told you?” she asked quietly, thrilled to see Shikamaru lean in a fraction to listen. “Her next target, I mean,” Sakura quickly clarified. Hearing this part, he leaned back away and let out a sigh of frustration. “It’s Asuma-sensei!” she found herself practically yelling before quickly looking around to make sure they were alone. Shikamaru stopped in his tracks, still not speaking. When she stopped to accommodate him, he rolled his eyes and continued his pace.

“Don’t talk to me about that shit,” he scolded her angrily. “It’s girl stuff. Leave me out.” Ino’s controlled breathing approached the pair as Sakura jerked back to reality to follow him. The blonde didn’t stop before lapping them a second time.

\--

“I don’t get it,” Ino was whining in what had to be the most seductive way possible. It had been two months since Ino made her declaration to Sakura and she had really started cranking up the sex appeal. Asuma was completely oblivious, or at least he pretended to be. Waiting in the doorway for Ino to finish up her charade, Sakura checked her watch. She’d been at this for about ten minutes now, begging for Asuma to give her private lessons of some sort.

“I’m happy to assist you in class or before school starts if you make an appointment but my time after school ends is for me and my daughter,” Asuma was bored. This wasn’t Ino’s first attempt and while she scored points for persistence with Sakura, her determination was completely lost on their teacher. Finally understanding she was getting nowhere, Ino pouted and stormed off.

“I hope I fail your class!” she shouted over her shoulder, blowing past Sakura on her way out. Sakura caught a glimpse of Asuma rolling his eyes before she turned tail and chased after her best friend. 

\--

“She won’t leave me alone,” Asuma let out a beleaguered sigh into his coffee cup. The shop was warm despite the cold outside: January had roared in quickly and their last semester was just beginning. His companion Kakashi, another teacher at school, looked more amused than anything. “I already know what you’re gonna say,” the brown-haired man cut his friend off, “so be quiet. I’m not interested in kids.”

"Kids,” he began in a hush, pulling Asuma closer “don't have tits like that," Kakashi spoke with a smirk apparent even under the mask he insisted on wearing. Asuma, surprising himself, felt rage welling up inside. 

"Obviously they do," he spat out, rising from his chair, "because SHE has them and SHE is a child." Asuma was nearly out of earshot when he heard Kakashi retaliate quietly.

“Do you think you’re the only one she’s done this to?” 

\--

“I want to talk to you, Ino,” Asuma broke the silence at last. Ino perked up immediately, having previously been falling asleep at her desk. It was early morning and this was the second time this week she’d asked him to come to school early for help without actually needing anything. It was irritating, but his daughter went to daycare early in the morning anyway; sometimes being at school beat being in an empty house.

“W-what can I do for you, Asuma? I mean, Asuma-sensei?” she caught herself quickly upon seeing his scowl. In mere moments she’d closed the space between the two and was practically sitting on top of his desk. Keeping his facial expression fixed and his body physically distant from hers, Asuma embarked into dangerous and unfamiliar territory.

“I’ve heard… rumors,” he began tentatively, trying to get a read on the blonde girl in front of him. She didn’t react at all. “About you doing this to other men,” Asuma put a heavy emphasis on the word ‘this’ and finally got a reaction from the younger girl. Unexpectedly, she blushed and let out an awkward, forced laugh.

“Not anymore!” her voice was falsetto and far too loud for this early in the morning, but she pressed on. “You’re the only one for me now,” her voice cracked despite herself. Finally allowing herself to look up at the man beside her, Ino was surprised to see his expression soften for a minute. He hadn’t let his guard down with her at all in the months and months she’d been endlessly assailing him. Her heart flew up into her mouth and she had to stop from leaning in to kiss him; he’d definitely run away if she made the first move.

“Ino,” he looked pained now. “You’re a child. To me, you will always-” Ino opened her mouth to interrupt but Asuma trudged on. “Even after you graduate, you will still be my student. I’m not interested in children, much less my students. Stop coming in early if you don’t need tutoring. Kids need more sleep than adults do, you know?” although he tried to end on a light note, Ino was crying before he finished. Rather than comfort her, he stood up from his desk and left the room.

\--

“Sensei!” Ino’s voice reached all the way across the long hallway and she was at his side before he could find a place to hide. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him into a nearby classroom, both of them shocked he hadn’t pushed her away immediately. Ino had relented her attacks since that day in the classroom, so he wasn’t fully prepared for her antics now. Perhaps graduation day had made him a bit sappy after all.

“You know I’m eighteen now right?” Ino cocked her head to the side playfully, the only light in the room coming from the windows overhead. “My birthday was last week. I was thinking-” Asuma put his hand over her mouth at the sound of someone walking past. Ino was pressing her body against his now in a way that made his pants tight. Being unable to speak hadn’t dissuaded her from harassing him. He released the hand on her mouth once the danger had passed and used both of his hands and physically hold her away from himself.

“Ino-” Asuma’s voice faltered now. He knew he was doing the right thing, but it was extremely difficult with her making bedroom eyes and desperately trying to reach for his dick. “I shouldn’t have to repeat myself, but I will. You are my student. You aren’t thinking straight because your brain hasn’t fully developed yet. Please, please, find someone you love, someone who cherishes you more than anyone in the world, and do this with them. Not with me.”

Again, she was crying. He released her arms and she fled out of the classroom in a flash, leaving him behind. It was for the best, right? She was just a kid, even at eighteen, even on graduation day. For the best.

\--

Ino had spoken to him a few times since graduation. She’d gone on to a top university (he knew she didn’t need math tutoring) and then entered the workforce immediately. After she got her job their communication had completely stopped, which he was prepared for. Ino felt almost like a second daughter to him, and he wanted her to do well in life. He wanted her to remember him as a stern but loving teacher, not a pervert who got an erection from a few seconds of desperate body contact.

When the letter came in the mail he had mixed feelings. She was getting married and of all people she’d chosen to invite him. Alongside the brief RSVP card (featuring a picture of the bride and groom: Shikamaru had barely changed since highschool!) there was a short hand-written letter. Her handwriting hadn’t changed much in all these years. He knew her dad had been ill while she was in highschool, but news hadn’t reached Asuma of his death until the letter invited him to walk her down the aisle. Five years later and she still thought of him. He’d done the right thing.

_Asuma-Sensei, ___

_My dad fell ill when I started highschool, and only seemed to get worse as time went on. His cancer was chronic and unforgiving. At first hearing “chronic” rather than “acute” was a relief, but as the years went on and his suffering increased exponentially, I wondered if it really was better this way. I was looking for a father figure in all the wrong ways and all the wrong places, but I still found you. I will never forget the resolve with which you rejected me, and how you told me to find someone who truly cherishes me. I’ve found that person, and I would be honoured if you could walk me down the aisle in place of my father, who finally succumbed to cancer last year. I’m sorry for the lack of contact while I was figuring myself out: if it’s okay with you, I’d like us to see each other more frequently. I’m sure your daughter is becoming a wonderful young woman and I think she could stand to have an older sister around! We still live in the same city after all._

_Love forever,  
Ino_

Love forever. Asuma liked the idea. His own daughter was getting ready to enter middle school now, and although he hadn’t had much interest in dating he had no lingering feelings for the girl who made him come to school early just to fall asleep in front of him all those years before. After she’d exited the school grounds post-graduation ceremony, she’d never returned once. Anything romantic he felt for her faded quickly and easy from him as he was sure it had for her too. He’d done the right thing. His daughter really could use an older sister figure, after all: he was hopeless with makeup and styling hair.

**Author's Note:**

> I loved Yasashii Sekai no Tsukurikata but there was a part of it that just IRKED me. I wrote this in response. Like I said before, the beginning half was written about a year ago and seems (even now) a bit stilted to me, but I couldn't figure out how to make it flow more. Sorry about that.
> 
> A lot of fanfic feels to me like exorcising demons, and posting them gives me some relief. I'll be happy if even one person understands. Thank you.


End file.
